Fire-escape and the like.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

T. HORNSEY. PIRE ESCAPE AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23.1905.

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UNITED STATES T OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application tiled May 23, 1905. Serial No. 261,878.

To (LZZ whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs HoRNsEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 6 Lansdowne Place, Brunswick Square, London, En land, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Fire-Escapes and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus rimarily intended for use as a domestic eescape, but applicable also for safely lowering persons or goods from a height generall r, the invention being designed to provi e mea-ns whereby a person may be enabled to lower himself `from any height at a safe and uniform speed and without extraneous assistance.

My invention comprises means serving to automatically so regulate the rate at which the lowering-rope is paid out as to render the speed of descent approximately uniform and practically the same whatever the weight of the person or object being lowered, the invention consisting, essentially, in the combination, with a pulley over which the loweringrope is passed and by means of which it -is connected to an overhead support, of a dashpot-retarding device actuated by the rotation of said pulley, and a friction-brake operated by means of toggle-gear forming the means of suspension for said pulley, so that the resistance opposed to the descent will increase both with the tendency of the speed of lowering to increase and also with the weight of the person or object being lowered, and thus any possibility of the load escaping from control is practically prevented.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of the device of my invention, Fig. 3 being a part-sectional view of a building, illustrating the application of the invention and drawn to a smaller scale.

The upper bight of the lowering-rope a passes over and is supported by a pulley t, mounted to work in a frame c, whereby the apparatus is suspended from any fixed oint overhead, as indicated in Fig. 3, the pu ley b being grooved and, if desired, roughened so as to prevent the rope from slipping upon its periphery in contact with which the rope is retained by means of a pair or pairs of guide ulleys or rollers, as at d d and ec, also carried y the frame c. In connection with the pulley b there is provided a rotary dash-pot de vice adapted to control the speed at which the pulley is rotated by contact with the rope e` as the latter is paid out in conse( uence of the descent of the bod suspended irom one of its members. In te preferred arrangement, as illustrated inthe drawings, the dashpot comprises an upright cylindrical closed vessel f, mounted within the frame c below the pulley b, and a spindle g, which -is fitted to rotate within said vessel and which carries a series of vanes fz, the spindle g being geared to the axle j of the pulley b by means of a bevel-wheel lf on the axle engaging with a bevel-pinion Z on the spindle, so that as the pulley b is rotated the vanes 7L revolve at a relatively high speed. The vessel fis iilled with a viscous liquid and preferably also contains a number of lead shot or heavy balls in the interspaces between the vanes l1, so that the rotation of the latter will be retarded by a continuously yielding resistance and the speed of lowering controlled correspondingly.

The frame e is suspended from an overhead support, such as a wall-bracket "In, as indicated in Fig. 3, through the medium of a pair of crossed levers n n, pivoted to the frame, as at o, and having their upper ends connected by a pair of links or by a length of chain or wire rope p, adapted to be attached directly to the support. The lower ends of the levers n n carry rollers q q, adapted to bear upon the rope 1l at either side of the pulley b and pref erably below the points where contact be tween the rope and pulley con'nnences and terminates, respectively, the arrangement being such that when in consequence of the weight of the apparatus and load the upper endsoi the levers n 'n tend to approach one another the rollers g g are caused to press upon the ro e d and to nip the latter between themseliifes and the pulley b, so that the passage of the rope will be braked with a force proportionate to the weight suspended and to the ratio between thc length of the upper and lower arms ot the levers n n. Non-rotary brake-shoes might be substituted for the rollers g g, but the latter are preferable as they do not tend to wear the rope.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the descent of the suspended body is automatically so controlled that the resistance to such descent increases both with the s eed of descent and also with the weight o" the body, so that the free fall of the body is cflectually prevented and a practically uniform rate of descent may be obtained, thus enabling, for example, a person to lower himself unaidcd IOO IIO

from a lofty window with safety and confilenee The rope a may be of any preferred forni and length and several persons may use the rope simultaneously as a means of escape, the rope beingr always presented in osition to be grasped. lf, however, (as would more usually be the Case,) the rope is not endless, each of its ends may be provided with a noose or other means of attachment 'for the person or body to be lowered, as indicated at 1' r in Fig. 3,so that the descent of the one end will bring;r the other end into position to receive a fresh load, the rope running over the pulleyl b in o positie directions alternately, whereby Inuc i valuable time may be saved in escaping from a burning building as compared with the time required for working any ordinary arrangement 0f rope e and pulley tackle.

That I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A lire-escape or the like, consisting of a framework having a pulley in 'fixed position therein, a dash-pot and gu1de-rollers, a bevelwheel on the pu ley, a stem held by the frame also carrying a` bevel-wheel meshing with that on the pulley, varies connected to the stem and located in the dash-pot, the hitter having; a resisting' medium therein, a rope passing over the rollers and pulley and earrying slings, toggle-levers pivoied to the top of the frame and having,r rollers on the lower end thereof which are located adjacent to the rope passing over the said rollers, and a rope colmecting the upper ends of the toggleevers for suspending the apparatus and the rope engaging the rollers.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS HORNSEY.

litnessesz ARNOLD VHrrE, ROBERT HoRNsEY. 

